average user visits Xfinity.com 18 times per month, views 94 pages and spends 105 minutes on the site.6 Often, auto dealers fall into the trap of focusing online marketing on search engine optimization and keyword advertising. It sounds like a great idea, but in practice it should again be just one piece of your overall strategy. Using banner ads along with search is better than search alone. People who used search and were additionally exposed to display advertising were 22% more likely to produce a sale.7
A study conducted by Eyeblaster Research on cross channel search and online display campaigns showed 72% of the cross channel campaign conversions (sales resulting from online advertising) were a direct result of the display ads, but only 28% were the result of search advertising. This study suggests businesses that use display advertising to extend their reach beyond search receive the overwhelming majority of their web-to-sale conversions as a result of their display ads. The purchase funnel is a theoretical marketing model that describes the customer’s journey towards the purchase. The further the prospective customer moves through the funnel, the higher the likelihood that he or she is going to purchase the product. Search works on the lower parts of the funnel by targeting prospective customers in the consideration stage or in the intent to purchase stage and pushes them to buy the product. Display, on the other hand, works on all stages of the funnel. It brings new prospective customers into the funnel – and creates the potential that they will purchase from your dealership – by generating awareness. When they interact with your advertising early in the buying process you get their attention all
the way through the favorability, consideration and intent to purchase stages. Online Advertising Options Don’t forget to take the opportunity to showcase your vehicles the way they were meant to be seen – through motion, sound and engagement. Today’s online advertising options are more dynamic and impactful than ever. Given that over 80% of the content consumed on the Internet each month is video, you should prioritize video in your display ads whenever possible. You can use video within the banner ad to generate excitement and vehicle consideration. Video ads deliver 5 to 15 times the engagement performance of traditional banner ads. You might also want to consider pre-roll video ads, which users watch prior to viewing a video online. Rich media ads also create deeper product engagement; when the user scrolls over the ad, they can interact with it and, of course, can click through to your website. Have you considered making a statement by taking over an entire website page with your advertising? A “roadblock” guarantees your ad is the only one shown on the web page, ensuring you full impact on the consumer without competition from other advertisers. Finally, make sure your online advertising is geographically targeted to reach your specific customers. You will access the people most likely to shop at your dealership, and you will avoid wasting precious advertising dollars on consumers outside your local area. Your Future is Here Online advertising is the next generation billboard and video content delivery system, and it’s here to stay! It should be an important component of your overall advertising strategy. It works best long-term, so keep it in front of your consumers and let it drive awareness and purchase consideration for your business. The car shopping world has changed and now is the time to grab the wheel and steer consumers to your website, your dealership and that next big sale. You may contact Jeff Kent at Jeffrey_Kent@cable.comcast. com.
MediaMind Nielsen Cross-Platform Homes March 2010, Scarborough Seattle-Tacoma DMA August 2011 3 Scarborough Seattle-Tacoma DMA Feb 2011 4 Nielsen IAG A18+ March 2010 5 Advertising Research Foundation 6 Seattle DMA ComScore Dec 2012 7 eMarketer Sept 2007 1 2
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